


bloody foul mouth

by lemonbreeze



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: (this is not what it seems), Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Blood, Crossdressing, Found Family, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Non-Explicit Sex, Non-Linear Narrative, Violence, Were-Creatures, a lot of it, this is very unhinged, way v and noren :3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:42:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26233624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonbreeze/pseuds/lemonbreeze
Summary: “You big baby,” Renjun mused before he climbed over the gear shift and settled on Jeno’s lap. He reached for Jeno’s arm, the one that he injured, and the other flinched.“C’mon, I’ll kiss it better,” Renjun pouted. Jeno let out a grunt. That was all the acknowledgement Renjun needed before his lips plunged to the gashing wound.Jeno’s face was scrunched up, his lips pressed together and his nostril hair flitted with his heavy breathing. It made Renjun want to tease so pressed his tongue flat against his wound. He lapped at the wound with kittenish licks while checking on the other simultaneously.  He must have looked famished. Insane.Unhinged.“Better?” Renjun smirked.Their faces were extremely close, the both of them inching forward. There were invisible strings pulling them together. Two stars clashing into each other in the Milky way, destined for destruction.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Comments: 18
Kudos: 76





	bloody foul mouth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [luffnoren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/luffnoren/gifts), [reonjeons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reonjeons/gifts), [renjunsfairydust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/renjunsfairydust/gifts).



> The contents of this fic is very heavy so I suggest you heed the tags before reading. If you feel that there's a potential trigger and I should tag, feel free to let me know!
> 
> Just a reminder that this is fiction and this by no means represent the people that I'm writing about!

It was careless, how Jeno kissed Renjun until his lips were stinging when they were on the job. His devil advocate told him that they were half a day early – he often banked on the accuracy of his informant. He counted it as a win that he was still alive. 

A pair of urgent arms gripped his thigh, a plea for attention. Jeno never looked the part, but he was sharper than Renjun initially imagined. The way he picked apart Renjun’s consciousness was as precise as his aim – Jeno could always tell when his touches were halfhearted, his dark coal eyes piercing Renjun. 

Renjun remembered those damn days, Jeno a third his size now – his head that always held high. Not that Renjun had a clear picture of his face, the only image burned in his mind was Jeno's small stature framed by a pair of clinical white silhouettes at all times.

This time, Jeno pulled down his zipper without warning, his whole body slinking down smoothly. Yet, the thud of his knee on the carpeted floor was loud, ungraceful in his haste to keep Renjun’s eyes on him. If Renjun wasn’t already staring, he would be now. This view would be worth millions, more than the premium Renjun paid for their room – Jeno’s round eyes that were too dilated to be innocent; Jeno long black bangs that were soft to the touch when Renjun pushed them back; his death grip on his thigh, his other hand brushing past his belt loops. 

The tension was palpable in the air. Renjun waited, enjoying this rare moment of power, a rush that was rare when he was always on the edge – a rush that pushed him over, until he was fingers tightly knotted in Jeno’s locks, angry red marks on his scalp. 

Jeno picked him apart, pushing into him against the window that gave him a bird-eye view of Herculate – where it all started. Renjun knew about the filth that was behind the pristine buildings, the people they had trampled on.

This high up, it felt as if Renjun was toeing between life and death with the way Jeno bent him into half, fucking into him – their hearts hammering with lust and some thing entirely new. Vulnerability. Euphoria.

It breathed a new meaning into the city. 

The navy-blue dress covered the dark bruises on Renjun’s thighs. It pooled around his ankle and swished as he prowled forward on the carpeted flooring. 

Behind Renjun, the safety unlatched. Jeno’s gaze burned Renjun’s back, where his long black wig reached. 

Renjun kept his eyes forward.

The silence did not allow for any exchange, but they got the drill down. Renjun would attack and Jeno defend. The handgun would be the last resort – much too loud for a place so densely populated. Not to mention, they are far too many stairs up for a sure escape.

A knock on the door, fluttering of his lashes and Renjun was already on silk sheets way too cool for his liking. He preferred skin on skin, the warm of another person on his back. Not on this guy though, who was too busy with chucking down his pants to notice Renjun’s hand reaching for the knife strapped it to his thigh sheath. 

The cool, light alloy was a grounding weight on Renjun’s palm. Renjun ran his thumb over the inscriptions embellished on the silver metal. It was routine at this point and without it, his throw felt off. 

Renjun’s fingernail scratched over the handle, injecting his intent into his weapon before it was soaring across the room, landing straight into his target’s chest. He checked his face, just in case, and it matched the photo he had pinned onto his wall, alongside other targets with a red cross drawn with a sharpie, just like the crimson pooling under his feet. The wide eyes of the middle-aged male stared straight at him. There was no life in his eyes that wore dark and blank.

_Good_ , Renjun thought, tearing his target’s chest apart with more stabs, technique long forgotten. Only good people deserved to leave in peace. When Renjun was sick of tainting his knife, he settled with the crunch of the skull under the sole of his boots. 

The door clicked open and Renjun’s reflexes reacted, his bloody throw-knife barely missing Jeno’s head. Dots of red splattered on his cheek. Jeno merely dislodged the knife from the door frame while Renjun resumed his antics.

“Jun. Stop, you’re dirtying the carpet,” Jeno said.

“Who cares. They have the money to clean it,” Renjun seethed, his mouth bitter with the memory – the screams ringing in his ears, the souls of the unavenged clawing his skin raw. 

Jeno’s hand tightened around Renjun arms, tugging him until his face was buried in Jeno’s chest. 

“I know.” Jeno stroked Renjun’s cheek and cupped it, then they were kissing again. Jeno’s lips tasted salty, vaguely like saltwater from that one time he lived at the beach. Freedom, calm – Jeno was all of these things. 

A double tap on his waist and Renjun pulled away, a pout on his lips. Jeno peeled again, always the sensible one. 

_Too obedient_. Good thing Jeno listened to Renjun.

✩*ೃ.⋆

_The room was pitch black; the only source of lighting was the gap under the door. When Renjun peered through the gap under the door, he could make out the shuffling of feet, shadows blocking breaking the line of light. Renjun did not try to bang on the metal door – strength wasn’t his forte. It had only made his hand hurt and the passing hours harder._

_03:23 – that was the number assigned to Renjun. He did not know what it meant. All the other children had 23 on their forearm. They were all fighters – they were forced to be when they pitted against each other. Sometimes against creatures that quadrupled Renjun’s size, which did not amount to much._

_Renjun was called ‘flash’, known for his lightning-speed in hand-to-hand combat._

_Being locked up wasn’t that bad. It might be forced optimism speaking, but they slept alone anyways. There were gossips of how a pair of subjects tried to break out together. Renjun merely scoffed when he heard it passed around during mealtimes. He would never be that stupid. If he was escaping, he was doing it alone. He could only trust himself to be stealthy enough, he did not need a deadweight._

_The walls were lined with metal. It was freezing where Renjun leaned onto. It must be winter, but Renjun had never seen it before. He had never seen anything that wasn’t blood, the blue tint of the laboratory lights and wires of various colours. Renjun breathed into his hands and rubbed it so hard that there was static on his palms. Their thin blue top and shorts were barely enough to keep them warm._

_It was supposed to be a punishment, Renjun reminded himself. He had made a ruckus when they tried to drag him into the laboratory. Renjun stabbed one of the adults with one of the switchblades he had sneaked out from the training room. Their panicked shouting was delightful. Renjun filed it for later – moments like these made it easier to stomach this place._

_The real torture of the confinement lied in its proximity to the laboratories. It means head splitting screams of whoever they were testing on. Renjun hated it too. Lying on the operating bed, his consciousness screaming at him to get away but his body unresponsive to what must be a million tubes wired to him. He would rather be strapped to the electric chair, because he knew electricity. It was just as lethal – he ever saw an unconscious child being dragged away after the treatment – but it wasn’t foreign like the substances they injected into him. He had always left the laboratory feeling like he had lost and gained something simultaneously. It was akin to a monster hiding in him, growing in size and stretching his skin until it was deformed, until he wasn’t himself anymore. It made him claw at his face until it was stinging and puffy as a semblance of control._

_Death over being their labrat, anyday._

_That was why Renjun made sure to wreak havoc, unlike 04:23 – the adults’ favourite._

✩*ೃ.⋆

Renjun’s favourite expression on Jeno was anger – a fire that tore past his calm demeanor. The bright blue flame that spoke of passion, love and lust. It reminded Renjun what it meant to be alive and burning.

“I have to call Haechan first,” Renjun moaned, his thighs clamped around Jeno’s waist. Jeno growled but his arms were firm as he carried Renjun into his room, passing by sets of closed doors.

Renjun had already texted Haechan a simple asteroid and a set of coordinates, but he liked to rile Jeno up. Maybe mentioning about his past escapades was a bad idea.

Jeno cushioned Renjun’s head, contrary to how their lips crashed violently, barely any space between their foreheads. Renjun’s back was pressed against the door and his chest was full of Jeno. The other bit on his lower lip before their tongues engaged in a complex dance, lapping each other up like it was water. Renjun licked Jeno’s cheeks, wiping over the blood stains and replacing them with his imprint.

From there on, it was teeth on skin, Renjun painted on his own blood instead. Jeno liked leaving circles of orderly teeth marks on Renjun, sucking his skin until it was bruised with purple.

After a kill followed an adrenaline high that they had to ride off. _Preferably on Jeno_ , Renjun’s brain helpfully supplied. 

Renjun’s dress was long gone, chucked away hastily alongside his wig. He ran his fingers through his moist hair. He had been sweating for hours and he must have smelt gross _–_ they didn’t have the time to shower, with Jeno begging Renjun for his dick after their first round. Amidst hauling the body with Jeno and disposing of it before hours of drive in the night, Renjun didn’t even have the capacity to feel self-conscious.

Renjun preferred to feel clean, but sometimes even that was a luxury when they lived in a place where they don’t get running water all the time. Don’t get him wrong, Soficate was a beautiful place, with hectares of crops and green pastures, cows frolicking about.

They had seen each other naked for far too many times, way above Renjun’s kill count. Yet, every time he stripped in front of Jeno, it felt like an evaluation. Oftentimes, Renjun did not feel like he matched the best fighter in their batch. That was why he made Ten dye his hair into different bright colours, why he got piercings on his right cheek. 

(“It looks like two stars,” Jeno had mentioned. His thumb moving over them, barely touching. Fascination shined in his eyes.

_More like two sides of a coin_. The way the metal balls caught light under the sun was similar to the pulsing glow of the stars at night.

“Two lost stars,” Renjun replied. A full blown grinned took over his face.)

It was almost dawn, the first few moments of the sun kissing earth.

Kissing Jeno was easy, when his mouth was so accepting and his tongue so receptive. Pretty sighs left his pink lips when Renjun lined up their crotches, grinding on Jeno’s jeans for the perfect amount of friction. His hips snapped with urgency until his thighs were sore and trembling. Jeno shuffled to take over but Renjun pinned Jeno’s hand above his head.

“Don’t,” Renjun warned, before leaning down to suck on Jeno’s lips. Jeno responded by groping his ass, kissing back with equal fervour. 

Xiaojun had the decency to knock. Neither did Renjun nor his hand pinning Jeno’s moved away. He felt Jeno fidget under him when he could easily push Renjun off with his exceptional strength – a blessing or a curse yet to be determined.

“ _Jeez, it smells bloody here_ ,” Xiaojun deadpanned. He stayed at the doorstep as if Renjun and Jeno were the plague. He wrinkled his nose in distaste and pinched it. It made his voice come out funny.

“ _Not my fault Jeno has a blood kink_ ,” Renjun laughed. It made Xiaojun’s eyes widen comically. If the room was brighter, there would be a blush sitting on the bridge of his nose.

“ _Gross_ ,” Xiaojun said while rubbing his forearm relentlessly. 

Jeno made a sound of confusion. He was playing with Renjun’s fingers, pressing lightly on each of his joints. Renjun made a non-committal huff that meant that he would translate later.

“ _Better wash up before you meet Kun then_ ,” Xiaojun said.

“ _Now?_ ”

“ _Yes, now._ ” 

The door slammed shut. Xiaojun was always sensitive to smell and he would be amazing as a hunter. Shame that he wasn’t as blood thirsty as Renjun.

“Sorry Jen, Kun wants to talk,” Renjun said, patting Jeno’s thigh lightly. He gave Jeno a peck before scrambling out of his lap, digging into Jeno’s closet for a clean shirt. 

It didn’t matter that the scent of iron seeped deep into his skin, for Kun always knew. 

✩*ೃ.⋆

_It felt as if a bomb had been planted in Renjun’s heart, his chest heaving as his lanky legs stumbled forward. His heart was ruptured by an explosion and he was moving on willpower alone. He couldn’t see well with the power trip he was responsible for, but he had memorised the routes by heart._

_The sound of grass under Renjun’s bare feet felt like freedom. Even when he tripped on a stone, he picked himself up and he was laughing so hard that the blaring alarms were an afterthought. He didn’t stop, not until his shadow was swallowed by the forest cover._

_Renjun allowed himself to look back one last time._

_The facility was a prowess of its own, painted in sleek white, where the central building towered over the cluster of low-rise buildings around it. The lights were already back on. Near the top of the tower was a ring of light shining down. It was divine. Renjun was sure that if there was heaven that they praised about, it would have looked like this. The cascading lights were blinding but accepting. Renjun knew better than to believe in those tales, for he was a forsaken child._

_With the power back up, Renjun had no place for complacency. His plan had only entailed escaping the facility and he could only hold that he wouldn’t be caught so quickly._

_The fog thickened the deeper as Renjun trudged into the forest. It was both eerie and magical. The chirping sounds surrounded him, and he could hear the calls of the other creatures._

_There were goosebumps running up Renjun’s skin when he felt the presence of another person. The face of the mysterious man was hidden by the fog, but his silhouette was at least two heads taller than Renjun. Renjun’s hands immediately tightened around a stolen knife._

_The only advantage Renjun had was his speed. He did not know what skills the other possessed, so he had to take the other by surprise._

_Renjun bent his knees for the extra push before sprinting forward, his right-hand with his knife hidden away. When he was within the attack zone, his wrist swung forward. Before he could even make a dent on the other’s skull, he was sent flying and his head spinning in every direction._

_The grass on the ground tickled Renjun’s cheek. There was a majestic creature on top of his body, its white fur luminescent/ It also had stripes of black decorating its face. Its eyes were sharp and it gleamed with pride. Its teeth dug into Renjun’s right arm. When Renjun clenched his fist around his knife, it had only bit down harder. It placed one of its forelegs on Renjun’s ribs, using its weight as blackmail._

_Renjun got the threat loud and clear._

_Renjun touched the creature with his other hand. It was rough to the touch but when Renjun ran his palm over it, it was thick like a pillow. There was an urge to bury his face into it and never wake up. He continued patting the creature, closing his eyes to focus. The creature made a vibrating sound from its throat and let out warm puffs of air that whipped Renjun’s face. He had been literally running low, his energy drained. His face was scrunched up. Despite his effort, there were only splutters of energy that fizzled out immediately._

_The creature jumped off Renjun immediately. It let out a loud growl. It was followed by a howl from a distance away._

_“You have never seen a tiger,” Mysterious man chuckled. For a moment, Renjun forgot about him, too entranced with the beauty of the creature and its fierceness, even when it could tear Renjun apart so easily._

_“Is she a tiger,” Renjun asked._

_“He,” Mysterious man corrected. The tiger returned to his owner’s side, who patted his head before he chomped on his hand lightly. The man carried himself with a posture different to all the adults he had seen. He was also dressed differently, with a dark-coloured long sleeve that had buttons on the top._

_“He is Xiaojun and I’m Kun. Nice to meet you formally, 03:23,” the mysterious man had said before he settled on the back of the tiger._

_“Introductions are in order and we must hasten,” Kun urged. He petted on the space in front of him and Xiaojun let out a series of chuffs._

_“Why should I follow you?” Renjun has questioned. Kun’s offer was tempting, if just for a ride on the tiger._

_“You have a choice, but not many options,” Kun had said. Renjun had decided then that he liked Kun. He was smart with his words._

✩*ೃ.⋆

Renjun wasn’t very fond of Kun at this moment. He crossed his arm and held it tight against him. 

“No more solo missions,” Kun said.

“They are not solo when Jeno is with me,” Renjun retorted.

Kun sighed, rubbing his temples in repeating circular motions.

“I never rescued you for you to risk your life like that,” Kun said. “There are other ways you can help to keep the nation together.”

“I don’t care about that. We are all burning in hell,” Renjun said. Renjun thought about the nice lady that brought food for the children in the slumps even though she was skin and bones. Kun was probably right, but Renjun knew that there was no point in saving something so ruined and corrupt.

“If you continue, you are no different from them. Self-serving, selfish,” Kun said calmly.

It was a blow to Renjun. He was not like them, who robbed children from their cradles. Renjun had never asked to be a fighter but they made him one anyways. 

“ _You don’t know what you are insinuating_ ,” Renjun switched to their mother tongue and enunciated each word slowly before slamming his door shut.

Ten was waiting outside Kun’s office when Renjun left, his gaze not an ounce of pity. He was the glue binding his family together, he always knew what to do. Ten merely took his palm and drew a wiry loop on his palms. Ten’s fingernails were long and pretty, unlike his short nails with dried blood underneath his fingernails. 

Renjun smirked at the gesture. It was a viper, an unspoken understanding. 

_If you want to bite, bite hard._

✩*ೃ.⋆

Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t reckless, maybe a little headstrong. In fact, he already had his revolt planned for years. 

Renjun wasn’t not heroic; he didn’t even dare think about breaking into the laboratories. It just wasn’t feasible with the manpower they had, since not everyone in their family was a fighter. Even if he destroyed their building, they would have just built another one. 

Money was the root of all evil, so to abolish their experiments, Renjun targeted the cluster of high net worth individuals that funded the tests. Meeting Donghyuck had helped to iron out the kinks and work out the details but Jeno kept him alive. It had always been a joy to watch Jeno throw punches and work his rifle.

✩*ೃ.⋆

Their next destination was Marsules, a town near the outskirts of the city centre. The people that lived in here were what remained of middle-class society, most of the aristocrats choosing to live in skyscrapers in Herculate, tall enough to look down on the neighbouring towns. There were apartments and other mid-rise buildings clustered together.

When the car made a turn, they broke out of the forest. The sky was a plain black canvas with no star. From here, Herculate was shrouded in a red glow, tainted like her citizens. Perhaps in a parallel universe, he would be with them – part of the corrupt system. 

Renjun’s hand moved when Jeno adjusted the gear leveler, indicating their arrival. 

The town was quiet after midnight, most of their civilians in deep slumber. When Renjun breathed, the air was thick with smog from the neighbouring city. 

Renjun unloaded the rifle from the trunk for Jeno. Long gun body, sleek black that matched Jeno.

Renjun had a handgun holstered at his waist. In his hands were a pair of hand knives given by Ten on his eighteenth birthday. Its handle was plain without designs, a symbol of snakes inscripted on the one-inch wide knife body. His throw knife was concealed by his clothes.

The coordinates Renjun received was quite a walk away . They parted ways a few blocks away. Jeno had left a kiss on the back of his neck. It was tender and it lingered there for a second too long. He buried his nose into Renjun’s pink hair and inhaled. Renjun would have called him gross, but he knew how much it calmed him. He tiptoed, returned a kiss on Jeno’s cheek, a little short of the cross near his eye.

There was a dog barking in one of the residential blocks behind Renjun, which he ignored. Perhaps if he turned, he would have realised sooner. A figure stood at the edge of the building opposite of where Renjun was due, his lean body dark against the round, red moon. 

There was a slight movement and bullets started raining down. Renjun ducked under the apartment. He was not fast enough to avoid the rapid fire completely. There was a searing pain on his left-arm. 

Renjun tapped on the device plugged into his ear, before whispering, “Jeno?” There was static, mumbles that Renjun couldn’t make out with thundering shots.

“Call Haechan if I’m not out in five,” Renjun said.

“Jun. He betrayed us. He betrayed you,” Jeno protested over the line. They had history, been through too much shit together; Renjun kept count of the times he had to save Donghyuck’s ass, both of them did. Right now, he still owed Renjun one.

“Do you believe me?” Renjun asked, even though he knew it was an unfair question. 

“Yes, but-”

“I will make it,” Renjun affirmed. Then, he tapped the device on his ear again. Renjun hoped that Jeno was smart enough to hide when their opponent was a sniper like Jeno. 

Renjun tried to focus on his breathing, but his exhales were uneven, his hands tightened around his blade slightly. It pierced the skin on his palm, but he felt much calmer. Gosh, his arm did hurt like a bitch.

It was like walking in a lion’s den. Renjun no longer knew what to expect – it was as if he was twelve again. Renjun shook his head – he was no longer scared. He repeated the names of his family in his head, like a mantra meant to guard him.

_Kun. Ten. Xiaojun. Xuxi. Guanheng. Sicheng. Yangyang. Jeno._

The first thing Renjun checked was the water meter and they all read zero. It did not sound like the aristocrats to evacuate the citizens at all. Renjun was doubtful. He kept his ears open when he swapped his knife for the gun instead.

If there was anything ingrained in Renjun, it was this need to kill. _Never leave your enemy alive_ , he remembered his trainer saying. 

As soon as Renjun saw Mr. Seo – richest of the riches – he aimed in between his dark, bushy eyebrows. His hands were steady. 

It was a practiced shot, perfected in the open fields halfway between Soricrate and Marsules. He could picture Jeno’s body lined behind him as he corrected his stance. The feeling of his steady heart beat that accompanied Renjun when he fired the shot. 

Deafened, Renjun watched as the bullet drove a hole through his head, the blood spattering over the beige walls. Mr. Seo’s body, clad in a green suit, slumped down the steps. He stepped over him, climbing the stairs two steps at a time. He’d only stopped when he reached the top.

There stood the sniper with half-white and half-red hair splitted at the centre. Renjun could only see half of his face that was resting behind his rifle.

“Drop the gun,” he said.

Renjun threw the gun and it slid across the cement floor until it reached the snipper’s feet. 

“Come closer,” the sniper said.

The sniper kept the barrel aimed at Renjun as he stalked forward with his arms raised. When he was this close, the heterochromia was obvious – one pupil black while the other was grey.

“Lee Taeyong,” Renjun said. 

_01:07_ – Renjun remembered seeing him on the papers when he was in the city. _The first official graduate of section 07 and worked for the Seo family from the age of fifteen. Powers: Unreleased._

“Huang Renjun,” Taeyong greeted, his expression neutral. He kept Renjun at a safe with his rifle. 

_Oh_ , he knew Renjun’s real name. _If so, asking him to come closer was a mistake._

Renjun unsheathed one of his twin knives, ready to draw blood. Taeyong’s free hand grabbed Renjun right arm, twisting it outward. He underestimated Taeyong’s speed in close combat. This was looking bad. Renjun’s left arm was barely useful after bearing the impact of using the handgun on top of the bullet wound. 

Renjun saw Taeyong's lips twitch before he said, “I gave them to _Yongqin_.” 

It felt strange hearing the name of Ten in their mother tongue when Kun was the only one who called him by his name. The way Taeyong’s tone shifted into a tender yearning spoke of a million tales. It made him think of Jeno and it was dangerously easy for his thoughts to drift elsewhere.

Speaking of which, Jeno must be waiting for Renjun to move away. He was sweet and patient despite having enough gunpowder to start a catastrophe. Renjun would fall like Pompeii for him any day.

“What the fuck do you want,” Renjun seethed. His head was running miles when looking for an escape. Taeyong’s grip on his hand tightened, as if warning him.

“The Seo household wants your leader, Kun. Lead me to him and you shall be free to leave,” Taeyong said without a hint of emotion. Mechanical. Monotonous.

“You like _Yongqin_ , don’t you? You want Kun dead,” Renjun cackled. Despite the pain, he lifted his left arm, driving the knife into Taeyong’s back. He lets go, the energy unfurling under his fingertips until manifested in bright yellow electricity, sending pulses of shock through the metallic knife. 

Taeyong’s knees buckled under him and he collapsed. Not for long. He immediately used his arm and the butt of the rifle to support himself up. His torso was still on the concrete but he was already trying to aim at Renjun. 

“They never told me you were a 03,” Taeyong gasped. 

Renjun stepped away and took off his leather jacket – Jeno’s – so that he could show Taeyong his code.

“There is a 03, 03:23,” Renjun explained, pointing at his forearm. He used to think it was just an immunity to electric chairs but now he knew that he was sorted wrongly. It was fun while it lasted – screaming until his throat was raw and having them fooled. 

“Bye bye, Lee,” Renjun said as he unwrapped his lollipop – strawberry pink – to signify that he was done playing. 

Not a second later, a gunshot could be heard. It was clean. Renjun didn’t even have to see to confirm, for the paint of the apartment started flaking, the unblemished white peeling away to make way for brick-red buildings. 

It was a bummer that Mr. Seo’s body wasn’t there when he made his way down.

✩*ೃ.⋆

_They were eighteen the first time they met each other after Renjun's escape._

_It was at Herculates; Renjun had been there to run errands with Sicheng. It unfolded like this, the both of them were in front of a fruit juice store. The kind with fake fruits laid in boxes at their shop front that drew Renjun in with their bright yellow and pinks._

_Renjun had recognised Jeno with the lonely speck by his eyes but he looked totally different besides that. His hair had been blonde then, fully bleached to the scalp. It had contrasted beautifully with his full black uniform, armed with a rifle and guns around his holster. His short-sleeved uniform showed off his muscular biceps, the veins popping out where his hands were firm on his rifle. Renjun took a moment to ogle. He could lie that it was because of the codes inked onto his forearm but the words died in his mouth when Jeno looked straight into his eyes._

_Renjun was shocked but he played it off, his fingers twirling around his long black hair – a disguise. Neither Huang Renjun or Wang Jun existed in the civilian records, the latter merely a persona he had built up. A pretty picture of a girl with long black hair on his identification card. He had to wear a long sleeve to cover up his code, even if he was proud of it. Perhaps he was jealous._

_"Hey handsome," Renjun said, two drinks in hand – lemonade for Jeno and strawberry mango for himself._

_Jeno smiled and two crescent moons appeared, the skin beside his eyes crinkling up. It was the first time that Renjun was the direct recipient to his smile. It must have meant that Jeno was in a good place so what Renjun plotted was downright cruel._

_A few texts with Haechan and Jeno's boss' case was shuffled up, a knife on her photograph._

_Jeno had the muzzle of his handgun pointed to Renjun’s head._

_Even when Renjun was at the mercy of Jeno, he couldn’t help but feel pleased that Jeno did not kill him immediately. Maybe Jeno had found him pretty, maybe he couldn’t believe that such a tiny girl could have murdered his boss._

_Renjun decided then that he would show Jeno all of him._

_Renjun pulled off his wig to reveal his short, bubblegum pink hair. Renjun placed both of his knives in Jeno’s palm before shrugging off his windbreaker. Jeno pressed the muzzle harder onto his forehead. It had only made the tremor in his hands obvious._

_“It was you. The one that escaped the lab,” Jeno whispered._

_That had been enough to convince Jeno to join him in his junk car, an old model he stole from an abandoned barn house._

_“One thing,” Renjun had warned before his knife sliced into Jeno’s right arm and his fingers digging into the wound. Jeno hissed and he reached for his gun._

_“Hush, I almost got it,” Renjun said. A piece of plastic caught onto his fingernail and he pulled it out. It was a tiny blue chip with droplets of blood on it._

_Renjun crushed it with his knife and blew the broken fragments out of the window. When he turned around, Jeno had a scowl on his face and his bottom lip was protruding out._

_“You big baby,” Renjun mused before he climbed over the gear shift and settled on Jeno’s lap. He reached for Jeno’s arm, the one that he injured and the other flinched._

_“C’mon, I’ll kiss it better,” Renjun pouted. Jeno let out a grunt and that was all the acknowledgement Renjun needed before his lips plunged to the gashing wound._

_Jeno’s face was scrunched up, his lips pressed together and his nostril hair flittered with his heavy breathing._

_It made Renjun want to tease so pressed his tongue flat against his wound. He ignored the mental gasp (that must be Sicheng). He lapped at the wound with kittenish licks while checking on the other simultaneously. He must have looked famished. Insane. Unhinged._

_“Better?” Renjun smirked._

_Their faces were extremely close, the both of them inching forward. There were invisible strings pulling them together and they were destined for destruction. Two stars clashing into each other in the Milky way._

_Jeno’s lips were on his and he made sure to get every drop, even the blood dripping down his chin. His stubble scratched against Renjun’s neck and it elicited giggles, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Renjun fisted Jeno’s shirt to bring him closer, nibbling on his lips until they were crimson like blood._

✩*ೃ.⋆

A fog was casted over the calm water surface in the distance, inked with the reflection of the trees from the two landmass flanking the pier, constructed with simple wood planks. 

Jeno’s fingers were interlaced with Renjun and his other hand was fiddling with a leaf. Renjun’s feet were dangling over the edge, disturbing the calm waters with his kicks. It splashed around and drenched the cuff of his cotton slacks. It was beige in colour and Renjun much preferred darker colours. Jeno snitched it from the laundry line before they regrouped. 

There was an old man in his sixties that rowed over, just like Haechan had promised. It was a simple wooden boat with pillows on the seats, it’s cartoon print faded. 

“Where are you both heading?” The old man asked.

“Somewhere far. Anywhere,” Renjun replied. 

Jeno picked Renjun up by his waist to place him into the boat when Renjun complained that his arm hurt. He's so strong, so good. 

When the both of them were snug together, Renjun’s face buried into Jeno’s neck, he suddenly recalled something he had to do. Renjun turned around and waved even though no one was there. He was sure that Kun would watch him – he made sure Donghyuck would relay the message.

This wasn’t goodbye.

**Author's Note:**

> [twt](https://twitter.com/renjunkittycat) | [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/lemonjun)
> 
> this was very much inspired by this [fanart](https://twitter.com/nanabaso_/status/1299345215925354496?s=21)
> 
> once again, thank you tine for beta-ing & aya for cheering me on!


End file.
